HurricaneDij's Early Season Universe (2024-25)
Preps
- 5’3" senior guard and Earlham commit Bridget Timbrook produced 17 points and eight rebounds for Churubusco against Leo on Nov. 12. Through six games Bridget is averaging 8.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on the current season.
- Greenfield-Central senior six-footer Maddie Sonsini (pictured above) appears to have taken to her role as a bruiser for the Cougars after playing mostly guard for her first two years of high school at Richmond. The Spring Arbor commit has recorded four double-doubles in her first seven games this season, including 11 points and 13 rebounds in a 48-27 win at Greenwood on Nov. 7.
- Washington Township senior Gracie Little had an impressive all-around game during a 59-29 win over Wheeler on Nov. 19, recording 16 points, four rebounds, six assists, and 10 steals while making all six of her free-throw attempts.
- Westville center and IU South Bend commit Andrea Benefield appears to have added a new element to her game, a three-point shot. She has made two three-pointers thus far on the season... One of those threes came during a seven-point, seven-rebound effort in a 56-43 win over Bremen on Nov. 12. Benefield added 15 points in a matchup of unbeatens against Glenn on Nov. 26, a 59-35 victory for the Blackhawks. She also has proven a steady free-throw shooter for a big, good for 71 percent from the line (17/24) in the early goings of the season.
- After being homeschooled as a freshman, 5'4" senior guard Sara Rosko (pictured above) has carved out a very nice career for herself at Roncalli over the course of the last two years and change. Last season as a junior, Sara produced 12 points (one three-pointer), three rebounds, and two assists during a 62-36 win at Guerin Catholic last Jan. 26, also averaging 1.8 steals per game during 2023-24. This season as a senior, she buried three three-pointers in a win over University on Nov. 19.
- Perhaps my favorite shooter in the state, Danville junior Maddy Wethington ripped off 20 points in her first game of the season at Hamilton Heights. She followed that up with 10 points (two three-pointers) and two rebounds in her second game at Perry Meridian on Nov. 7…
- One of the best players in the state, 6’2” junior forward Katie Reed of Washington High School went for 19 points (one three-pointer), five rebounds, and two blocks in a low-scoring 39-30 victory at Northview on Nov. 15. Katie also tried her hand at softball last spring, when she batted .339 with eight doubles covering only 56 at-bats.
- Ball State commit and Warsaw senior power forward Brooke Winchester is averaging close to a double-double with 10.3 points and 9.6 rebounds through eight games this season. Brooke has sacrificed her scoring a significant amount as the Tigers are currently undefeated and widely considered a top 10 team in the state.
- Randolph Southern junior six-footer Haileigh Allen produced 20 points (two three-pointers), seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and three blocks in a win at 2024 regional champion Union City on Nov. 13. Haileigh is an all-state talent regardless of school size…
- As pure a shooting guard as there is in Northwest Indiana, Sienna Antkiewicz (pictured above) continues to solidify a Hanover Central program after making 27 three-pointers as a junior at a clip of 32 percent. While she has struggled with her shot this season, Sienna has produced a few solid outings in the meantime. Sienna played the entirety of a 38-25 win over Portage on Nov. 15, leading the Wildcats with 11 points while adding three steals. She would add seven points, six rebounds, and two assists four days later in a 49-45 triumph over Highland.
- Now a senior, 5’10” guard Myla Browning returns to lead a young yet potent Evansville Memorial program. Last year as a junior, Myla recorded 11 points (two three-pointers), six assists, three rebounds, and two steals in victory over crosstown Evansville Harrison. Seeing Browning in action for myself for the first time two weeks ago against Jasper on Nov. 23, it was her intensity of defense that stood out to me, something that does not always show in the stat sheet. Though she did produce 16 points on the other end of the floor in the 58-46 win over the Wildcats, perhaps Myla’s most defining play of the afternoon came during a crucial sequence of the second half, when she fell to the floor in a scramble and managed to secure a rebound and call timeout all while laying on her butt. 😀
- One of the unsung stars here in NWI, six-foot senior wing Sophie Bakker of DeMotte Christian struggled with foul trouble in her season debut at Whiting on Nov. 12. Sophie nailed a three Fremont the wing early in the second quarter, only to be called for her third foul of the game mere seconds later. She was finally able to be aggressive in the fourth quarter, but unfortunately was shooting right into Whiting’s cheer section and clanked the front end in each of her free-throw attempts. In spite of her struggles, Bakker grinded out 13 points (3/6 free-throw shooting), four rebounds, one assist, and four steals in the 46-32 Knights victory over the host Oilers. That is what being from Indiana is all about. 😀
Last but not least, I wanted to give a shoutout to Katie Reed's classmate, Kyra Schuckman, who received some extended minutes in a blowout of Tecumseh on Nov. 23... The 5'8", 135 lb. shooting guard canned two three-pointers and added two rebounds in the contest. Way to go Kyra!!! 😀
NBA
- Norman Powell and Royce O'Neale are the two most underrated players in the league right now, even if O’Neale has scuffled a bit without Durant and Beal in the lineup... He remains the perfect fourth option that can do it all. Royce is currently averaging 9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game, and is connecting one what would be a career-high 42.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He scored 11 points (three-of-four on threes) during a big win over the Warriors last Saturday.
- James Harden is still better than Paul George in spite of George’s outrageous contract situation.
- Yet another diamond in the rough found by Thunder GM Sam Presti, former #55 overall pick Aaron Wiggins (no relation to Golden State finals hero Andrew) averaged 6.8 points and 3.0 rebounds while connection on 39.3 percent from three in 2022-23, when OKC won its first play-in game. He has taken his game that much further this season upon receiving a $47 million payday. There are no wow skills to Wiggins’ game; He is just a solid, positionless wing. During a 134-128 win over the Clippers on Nov. 11, Wiggins’s produced 10 points (two-of#four from three), four rebounds, and four assists as OKC outscored the Clips by 17 while he was on the court.
- Once considered a second round pick by many, 7'4" center Zach Edey went #9 to Memphis and he has played well, averaging 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in his first 14 games while seeing approximately 20 minutes a night. He looks like he's going to be a solid pro...
- Though he has with a championship under his belt, this observer has consistently nagged on Michael Malone's propensity to neglect his bench, even during the year Denver won it all. The latest player being buried in the mile high is Dario Saric, who earned some respect as a stretch four under Steve Kerr last season. To be fair, Saric was used as the starting center for the three recent games that Jokic was out, but frankly that's not who he is. And while Dario performed admirably in that role, Malone is not putting him in the best position to succeed... As a Nuggets fan, I just hope we're not going to need to ship out more draft picks just to get out from the $5.4 million Saric is owed next season, similar to what happened with Reggie Jackson over the summer.
- The two basketball cards I purchased during this current holiday season were of John Collins and Dyson Daniels (from when he was still a Pelican).
- Third-year shooting guard Ochai Agbaji went off for 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in Toronto's 131-128 victory over Sacramento on Nov. 2. For the life of me I cannot understand why Utah chose to keep an aging and ineffective Jordan Clarkson over him. I was able to purchase Ochai's neon yellow Jazz jersey at a hefty discount even before he was traded. 😀
Below is Aaron Wiggins’ highlights in the Clipper game, by way of SlamJamZone on YouTube…
Enjoy your holidays everyone!!!
Sincerely,
- The Pride of HurricaneDij. 😀🎄
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